Truss



(No Model.)

T. M. MERGE.

TRUSS.

Patented Apr. 9', 1895.

THE NORRIS Pz'rzns co. FMOTO-LIYHQ, wnsulusron. n. cv

' NITED S ATES PATENT G rment.

THOMAS M. MERCK, OF GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,122, dated April 9, 1895. Application filed February24, 1894. Serial No. 501,434. (No model.)

and which will be easy upon the wearer, as

will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure l is a perspective View of my truss.

for attaching the same to the truss; Fig. 3 is a front view of the pad and a portion of the belt; and Fig. 4 is a back or top View of the same. k

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the body belt which is preferably of non-elastic material, and has one end provided with a narrower portion 2 which is adapted to bepassed through a buckle and thereby adjustably secure the belt upon the wearer.

In addition to the narrow portion for adjusting the size of the belt, a buckle 3 may be secured to aportion of the lengthofthe belt by means of a strap 4, whereby a portion of the belt may be doubled upon itself and passed through the buckle 3 so as to increase or decrease the size of the belt as desired.

The pad 5 of the truss is secured to the V- 'shaped spring 6 by means of the screw 7 which will permit of the pad being rotated with the screw as an axis. The opposite leg of the spring is secured to the belt by means of a loose rivet 8 which will permit of the spring being reversed in relation to the belt, that is, so that the upper portion of the spring may be made to project above the belt no difference which edge of the belt is uppermost. This will permit of the belt being changed end for end so as to throw the pad over the ruptured portion upon either side of Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pad and the means the body, by simply reversing the position of the pad relatively to the belt.

-To cause the pad to always lie directly in the line of pressure by the belt the rivets 7 v and 8 lie directly over each other, and the rivet 8 is provided with a clasp to which the ends of the belt are secured. One end of this clasp is turned up to form two lips 9, 9, between which the clamp 10 is pivoted, and the opposite end is bent up to form two eyes 11, 11, to which the buckle 12 is secured. As one end of the broad belt is secured under the clamp 10, and the narrow portion 2 is passed through the buckle l2, itis evident that the inward pressure from the belt will be directly over the center of the pad, and thus tend to keep it in its proper position. To assist in keeping the pad in position and especially to 'keep it from working upward, I prefer to use a strap 13 which is secured at one end to the rear of the body belt and is passed under the thigh and adjustably secured to the lower end of the spring 6 by means of the buckle let. The buckle 14: is preferably secured to the spring by means of an eye 15 which is formed by bending the lower end of the leg as shown in Fig. 2. The rear end of the'strap 13 is secured to the body belt by means of a revolving clasp 16 which is swiveled on a rivet 18 which will permit of the strap occupying the same relative position to the belt-which ever side of the belt is uppermost.

In using trusses having a V shaped spring it is evident that When pressure is applied to the outer arm of the spring sufficient to hold the pad in place, if, in the movements of the body, the position of the belt and pad should be changed relatively to each other so that the pressure did not come in a direct-line toward the body, or so that it would be inclined slightly to one side or the other, the tendency of the spring to resume its normal position would force the pad out of its position or force the belt around the body so as to remove the pressure from the pad, thereby rendering the truss useless. To avoid these objections I ICO essary to apply to the outer leg of the spring is that of the body belt which renders the truss more effective than where the pressure of the thigh strap and the belt are both placed upon the outer leg of the spring.

The attachment of the thigh strap to the end of the leg having the pad causes the pressure at that point to force the upper end of the leg of the spring away from the body, by using the pad as a fulcrum.

The upper end of the spring 6 is preferably inclosed in a suitable culf or pocket 19, which is made out of suitable material, as leatheror felt, and is large enough to prevent the friction of the end of the spring from injuring the body. Although the pocket may be secured to the spring in any manner, I have found the most desirable way to be to secure it by means of the rivet 20 which is passed through the ends of the spring to secure them together, and passed through the walls of the pocket at the same time and riveted down, thus firmly uniting all the parts together with one piece.

As thus described, it is evident that the truss may be adjusted to various sizes and that it can be used upon either side of the person, with but little inconvenience and by using an oblong pad, or one having a substantial egg-shape, and swiveling it to the belt, so that it may be adjusted with the longest axis in any position, even to inverting the position of the pad, a very desirable truss is secured, and one that can be manufactured very cheaply and yet possess great strength and durability.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a truss, the combination, with a body belt, of a V shaped spring reversibly secured thereto by the outer leg, a pad pivotally secured to the inner leg, intermediate its end, the pivotal point of the pad and the point of connectionv between the spring and the belt being substantially in a line with each other, and a thigh strap pivotally secured to the belt at the rear and adjustably secured to the lower end of the leg of the spring provided with the pad, whereby the pressure from the thigh strap is applied directly to the pad through the inner leg and the pressure from the body belt is applied to the pad indirectly, or through the spring, substantially as set forth.

TI-I OS. M. MERCK.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. WINBURN, W. H. PRICE. 

